Bruins give Jordan Caron another chance

Sunday

Sep 29, 2013 at 12:01 AMSep 29, 2013 at 4:11 PM

BOSTON — In 2009, Bruins’ scouts saw a big, skilled winger with good hands and a strong shot. They envisioned a power forward who could play in front, on the wall and kill penalties. Essentially, a lighter Milan Lucic with better defensive skills.

General manager Peter Chiarelli walked to the podium at the Bell Centre in Montreal and announced that Quebec native Jordan Caron was their first-round pick, No. 25 overall.

Caron has shown he can handle the defensive responsibilities of a Claude Julien forward. Even at 6-foot-3, he's a good enough skater to play on the penalty kill.

But for years the Bruins have pleaded with him to throw his weight around in the offensive zone. It hasn't happened. He's been passive, lacking confidence and been afraid to make a mistake. His big body has been a big waste.

In 17 games with Boston last season, Caron had 12 games with zero or one shots on goal, revealing of his lack of aggression even if somewhat mitigated by the third line's overall dismal offensive season. As a third-year pro, Caron was expected to step forward; instead, he looked like a bust.

There's only one inch and 17 pounds that separate the listed height and weight of Caron and Lucic, but there's an ocean between their styles of play.

"He’s very reliable along the walls, but around the net area, hopefully if he improves there he’s going to give us a little bit more production and maybe a little bit more offense," Julien said Sunday.

The Bruins are still hopeful the 22-year-old can get there. He showed signs in the second half of training camp of being more aggressive and creating some offense. There was a goal Friday night in the preseason finale and a few other scoring chances. Julien said he saw good signs in the final two exhibition games.

Caron officially got the last roster spot Sunday morning. Nick Johnson was placed on waivers; if he clears Monday, he'll be assigned to Providence. Caron, who signed a one-way, one-year deal over the summer, also was subject to waivers and almost certainly would have been claimed.

As much as anything, that may have been as big a reason as any that Caron is still sharpening his skates on Causeway Street. The Bruins weren't ready to give up on him quite yet.

"He seemed to generate a little bit more (late in the preseason), but that has to continue," Julien said. "He’s (22) years old, he’s still a young player, and he’s a player that an organization doesn’t want to give up on too early. So we feel as coaches that we can help him improve and we’re going to work with him to make him improve in those (offensive) areas."

Caron put up big numbers in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with Rimouski Oceanic, piling up 36 goals and 67 points in 56 games in his draft year. With Providence, he had solid if unspectacular totals — 27-32—59 in 111 career AHL games.

He hasn't shown to be much more than a big defensive forward in the NHL. He had a paltry 1-2—3 line in 17 games last season and was invisible in the offensive zone.

The obvious question is, why hasn't his offensive game translated to the NHL?

"It's a good question," Caron said. "It's just having the confidence and not being scared to make mistakes and playing with nothing on your mind is really important and something that I really need to do. I've always been good in my zone, so I need to just not worry about that. It's going to come natural defensively. I know I have the skills to do it, so I just need to go out and do it."

Caron's confidence reached a high point in the 2011-12 season. When Nathan Horton and Rich Peverley were both out for several weeks, Caron played on the top line with David Krejci and Milan Lucic. In a four-game stretch, he had seven points, including a three-point night in Toronto.

Caron made his way into the playoff lineup for the last two games of the playoff series with Washington, and went into the offseason looking like an important part of the Bruins' future.

Then came a lockout season from hell. Caron had to go to Providence when the work stoppage began, hardly the place he wanted to be. He got off to a bad start, hurt his shoulder, then returned and took a puck to the face that knocked him back to the press box. He was finally called up to Boston in March and was ineffectual. He ended the season back in the AHL.

All the good feelings that had built up a year earlier were wiped away.

"I think I had a tough start with the lockout down in Providence," Caron said. "I think I had a good finish (the year before), my confidence was really high. I went to Providence and I had a season like that and things aren't going your way, and then the injuries happen. I've said it many times since the end of last year, I just want to forget about last year. Right now I'm feeling pretty good."

A restricted free agent last summer, Caron quietly signed for $640,000 and watched as the Bruins acquired young forwards and new roster competitors Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser.

Caron struggled when camp opened. Smith was lightyears ahead of him, and Johnson was impressive. In the third exhibition game, an 8-2 loss to the Red Wings, Caron hit a low point.

"That was a tough night," Caron said. "There are nights where it seems like everything goes wrong. Every time I would have the puck, I would make a bad play or turn it over. There's nights like that. And for our whole team, it wasn't the best. But I think from that, I turned my game around and really stepped up the last few games. There's always things you want to work on, but after that it went pretty well."

As the 13th forward, there's an element of versatility needed. Caron could be asked to step in for Milan Lucic or Loui Eriksson or, as he may be Thursday, Carl Soderberg, who has a lower-body injury.

The Bruins know what Caron can do in front of his own goalie. Now they're just hoping he'll rediscover those offensive elements that made him so valued four years ago.

"I did it a couple years ago and I think that was when I was really confident," Caron said. "I know I can do it, I just need to go out there and play my game and be confident and good things are going to happen."

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BOSTON — In 2009, Bruins’ scouts saw a big, skilled winger with good hands and a strong shot. They envisioned a power forward who could play in front, on the wall and kill penalties. Essentially, a lighter Milan Lucic with better defensive skills.

General manager Peter Chiarelli walked to the podium at the Bell Centre in Montreal and announced that Quebec native Jordan Caron was their first-round pick, No. 25 overall.

Caron has shown he can handle the defensive responsibilities of a Claude Julien forward. Even at 6-foot-3, he's a good enough skater to play on the penalty kill.

But for years the Bruins have pleaded with him to throw his weight around in the offensive zone. It hasn't happened. He's been passive, lacking confidence and been afraid to make a mistake. His big body has been a big waste.

In 17 games with Boston last season, Caron had 12 games with zero or one shots on goal, revealing of his lack of aggression even if somewhat mitigated by the third line's overall dismal offensive season. As a third-year pro, Caron was expected to step forward; instead, he looked like a bust.

There's only one inch and 17 pounds that separate the listed height and weight of Caron and Lucic, but there's an ocean between their styles of play.

"He’s very reliable along the walls, but around the net area, hopefully if he improves there he’s going to give us a little bit more production and maybe a little bit more offense," Julien said Sunday.

The Bruins are still hopeful the 22-year-old can get there. He showed signs in the second half of training camp of being more aggressive and creating some offense. There was a goal Friday night in the preseason finale and a few other scoring chances. Julien said he saw good signs in the final two exhibition games.

Caron officially got the last roster spot Sunday morning. Nick Johnson was placed on waivers; if he clears Monday, he'll be assigned to Providence. Caron, who signed a one-way, one-year deal over the summer, also was subject to waivers and almost certainly would have been claimed.

As much as anything, that may have been as big a reason as any that Caron is still sharpening his skates on Causeway Street. The Bruins weren't ready to give up on him quite yet.

"He seemed to generate a little bit more (late in the preseason), but that has to continue," Julien said. "He’s (22) years old, he’s still a young player, and he’s a player that an organization doesn’t want to give up on too early. So we feel as coaches that we can help him improve and we’re going to work with him to make him improve in those (offensive) areas."

Caron put up big numbers in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with Rimouski Oceanic, piling up 36 goals and 67 points in 56 games in his draft year. With Providence, he had solid if unspectacular totals — 27-32—59 in 111 career AHL games.

He hasn't shown to be much more than a big defensive forward in the NHL. He had a paltry 1-2—3 line in 17 games last season and was invisible in the offensive zone.

The obvious question is, why hasn't his offensive game translated to the NHL?

"It's a good question," Caron said. "It's just having the confidence and not being scared to make mistakes and playing with nothing on your mind is really important and something that I really need to do. I've always been good in my zone, so I need to just not worry about that. It's going to come natural defensively. I know I have the skills to do it, so I just need to go out and do it."

Caron's confidence reached a high point in the 2011-12 season. When Nathan Horton and Rich Peverley were both out for several weeks, Caron played on the top line with David Krejci and Milan Lucic. In a four-game stretch, he had seven points, including a three-point night in Toronto.

Caron made his way into the playoff lineup for the last two games of the playoff series with Washington, and went into the offseason looking like an important part of the Bruins' future.

Then came a lockout season from hell. Caron had to go to Providence when the work stoppage began, hardly the place he wanted to be. He got off to a bad start, hurt his shoulder, then returned and took a puck to the face that knocked him back to the press box. He was finally called up to Boston in March and was ineffectual. He ended the season back in the AHL.

All the good feelings that had built up a year earlier were wiped away.

"I think I had a tough start with the lockout down in Providence," Caron said. "I think I had a good finish (the year before), my confidence was really high. I went to Providence and I had a season like that and things aren't going your way, and then the injuries happen. I've said it many times since the end of last year, I just want to forget about last year. Right now I'm feeling pretty good."

A restricted free agent last summer, Caron quietly signed for $640,000 and watched as the Bruins acquired young forwards and new roster competitors Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser.

Caron struggled when camp opened. Smith was lightyears ahead of him, and Johnson was impressive. In the third exhibition game, an 8-2 loss to the Red Wings, Caron hit a low point.

"That was a tough night," Caron said. "There are nights where it seems like everything goes wrong. Every time I would have the puck, I would make a bad play or turn it over. There's nights like that. And for our whole team, it wasn't the best. But I think from that, I turned my game around and really stepped up the last few games. There's always things you want to work on, but after that it went pretty well."

As the 13th forward, there's an element of versatility needed. Caron could be asked to step in for Milan Lucic or Loui Eriksson or, as he may be Thursday, Carl Soderberg, who has a lower-body injury.

The Bruins know what Caron can do in front of his own goalie. Now they're just hoping he'll rediscover those offensive elements that made him so valued four years ago.

"I did it a couple years ago and I think that was when I was really confident," Caron said. "I know I can do it, I just need to go out there and play my game and be confident and good things are going to happen."

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